Improvement in switch-stands and signal-targets



D. J. WHITTEMORE.

Switch Stand and Signal Target.

No. 43,446. Patented m 5, 71864.

v A m N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

D. J. VHITTEMORE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCH-STANDS AND SIGNAL-TARGETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,446, dated July 5, 1864.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, D. J. WHITTEMoRE, of the city of Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch-Stands and Sigrial-Targets; and 1 do hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and marks thereon.

The drawings forming part of this specification show my invention, Figure 1 thereof being a top view, or a view by looking down, of the rails, switch, and means for operating the switch, the ore osition of the rails leing indicated by black lines, and the other position by red lines. Fig. 2 is an end or front View of the rails and targetstand, &c., the rails being in line with the side track and the target so indicating. Fig. 3 is a view of the lantern by transverse sections on the red line of Fig. 2.

In each of these figures, where like parts are shown, like marks and letters are used to indicate the parts.

The switch rails to, by rods or bars b and c, are attached or connected to the crank-shaft d. A cog-wheel, e, at the top of the crank-shaft, gears into a cog-wheel,f, of double its size, affixed to the target-shaft g. A lever or arm h, is attached to crank-shaft 01, having the usual means for securing it in position. Now, by moving the crank i around one hundred and eighty degrees, which will move the switchrails a proper distance, it turns the siginalshaft ninety degrees. It will be noticed that one target, j, onl yis shown, the intention being that it shall be seen at right angle to the track when the switch is in line with the side track, and its edge only be seen in the line of the rails when the switch is in line with the main track; but if it be preferred to use two targets the one can indicate the switch in line with the main and the other the switch in line with the side track.

When provided with lanterns for night use,

have the lanterns with four upright sides in two opposite sides have glass of the same color; in two other opposite sides have glass of a difl'erent color. Then a change of switch will give a different color of light when viewed in the direction of an approaching train. The socket in which the lantern rests should be so constructed that the lantern can only be put in place with the right color of glass in the proper direction.

Shaft g terminates at the bottom of the column Zr, and runs through a wrought-iron plate cast in the column, on the under sides of which a pin passes through the shaft, preventing any displacement of target; through accident or design.

Target, target-shaft, crank-shaft, and handle will be made of wrought-iron; the column, cross-head, and wheels of cast-iron.

When a switch-stand and signal'target are used between double lines of rails, where there is not room enough to put the crank-lever at right angles to the line of the road, the only difl'erence required will be that thecross-head and crank-lever be placed at ninety degrees difference. The crank-lever is curved so as not to hit target-shaft when the switch is changed. The shape of the target will be circular, and it will be placed nearer the stand.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the cog-wheels e and f with their respective shafts d and g, the same being vertically parallel to each other, so constructed and arranged in connection with the rod 0 as to operate the switch and signal light or target, as herein described and set forth.

This specification signed this 6th day of April, 1864.

n. J. WHITTEMORE.

Witnesses W. L. HINSDALE, DWIGHT W. KEYEs, 

